Ozempic and Wegovy are making so much money for Novo Nordisk A/S that their cumulative sales will soon surpass the drugmaker’s entire research budget for the past three decades, undercutting a key argument for their unusually high prices.

Developed to treat diabetes, drugs like Ozempic now help fight obesity. Scientists newly honoured for working on them recall their findings.

Ozempic and Wegovy are making so much money for Novo Nordisk A/S that their cumulative sales will soon surpass the drugmaker’s entire research budget for the past three decades, undercutting a key argument for their unusually high prices.

In a high-profile showdown Tuesday with Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Senate health committee, Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen will be asked to defend the drugs’ U.S. monthly list prices of $969 and $1,